What is the Difference Between Open Heart Surgery and Bypass Surgery?
Coronary bypass surgery redirects the blood of a blocked artery in the heart by joining healthy arteries. Doctors take arteries from the arms, legs, and chest. Next, they connect the new artery to either above or below the non-functional one in the heart through tiny incisions made in the patient’s chest. As a result, blood flows freely without interruption throughout the body.
However, this surgery is not the answer to deadly blockages that obstruct coronary arteries like atherosclerosis. Yet for patients experiencing symptoms, various cardiologists have found that it can help significantly reduce shortness of breath, chest pain, and in some cases death as well as improve heart conditions.
In which conditions do you need the surgery?
Cardiology is a field that aims to treat and manage cardiac issues in the heart. There are approximately 200,000 operations on the heart done every year to deal with coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is when a waxy material called plaque grows inside your heart’s arteries, ultimately breaking off and choking the blood supply.
You may need surgery under the following conditions:
1. A blockage in the left main coronary artery prevents blood from passing into the left ventricle.
2. You are suffering from severe chest pain due to a blockage in several arteries that supply blood.
3. You have gone through a procedure before, but it doesn’t work, or your artery has narrowed down again.
4. A disease has developed inside your coronary arteries, compromising the left ventricle’s work, which is the main chamber that does all of the heart’s blood pumping.
The leading cause of heart attacks comes from clots, which are caused by coronary artery disease. That’s why if you undergo bypass surgery it can help you to lead a healthier life again.
Open Heart Surgery Vs Heart Bypass Surgery:
Heart Bypass surgery is a type of open-heart surgery in which the doctors make an incision(s) in the chest through which they can reach the heart. After these incisions are made, a surgeon will either perform an on-pump operation or an off-pump one.
In on-pump surgery, the surgeons use a heart-lung machine to stop your heart and perform operations efficiently. The device will circulate the blood and assist your body’s breathing efforts.
Whereas in off-pump surgery your heart will continue to beat throughout the process and no heart-lung machine is required.
But sometimes, the Cardiothoracic surgeon can perform surgery without cutting your chest open which is what we call closed heart surgery. The risk and side effects of these procedures depend from person to person. It’s best to let a doctor decide which treatment will be best for you.
How do take care of a patient after the surgery?
After you’ve had heart surgery, the initial stage of recovery takes about six to eight weeks and involves staying in the hospital for proper care. However, after discharge from the hospital, you’ll receive a set of detailed instructions that you must follow for post-surgery care in order to prevent complications or setbacks. By following these orders and taking care of yourself, you will recover better and more quickly.
Activity:
· Don’t carry, push or pull heavy objects.
· Don’t stand in one position or place for more than 10 to 15 minutes.
· Walk every day.
· Don’t lift heavy objects.
· You can climb stairs unless told otherwise.
· Do not drive unless the doctors permit you.
· Always eat healthy food, and avoid spicy or fried meals.
· Try light meals.
· Carry gentle exercises as mentioned by the doctor.
Conclusion:
One of the parts of cardiac surgery, coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is a procedure that may be performed when a patient displays symptoms associated with blocked arteries in the heart. It’s also known as angioplasty, where surgeons make use of grafts which are typically taken from other areas inside the body and connected to small pipes called sleeves that fit around the heart’s fat blood vessels. This allows oxygen-rich blood to continue to flow freely through them.
Source: https://gktiyer.blogspot.com/2022/05/what-is-difference-between-open-heart.html